Tone Report Weekly 196 - Page 25

PARKER FLY
Introduced in 1993, Parker Fly made
similar waves like Steinberger did with
its unique design and sound. Thanks to
using composite materials, Parker Flys are
incredibly light and get a very resonant
tone. The magnetic pickups also allowed for
clear hi-fidelity sounds. Perhaps the biggest
claim-to-fame for Parker Fly though was
being an early adopter of the piezo circuit,
which allowed players to simulate acoustic
sounds with an electric. Early adopters like
Dave Navarro called Parkers “the cleanest
guitar I ever heard.”
So why aren’t they bigger?
Some brands just stick in the public
consciousness more, so when big brands
like Fender and Gibson started selling
Strats and Les Pauls with their own piezo
circuits, Parker Fly lost a big factor in what
made them special. The vintage, lacquered
wood look of Fender and Gibson sticks
heavily in the public consciousness too, so
many in the public were probably turned
off by Parker Fly’s futuristic look. It also
doesn’t help that Parker was best at clean
sounds, and came out just as rock music
was shifting towards alternative and nu-
metal. Still, Parker Fly is still going strong
today, so it managed to weather the storm.
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